Letter's to Regina
by SanctuaryAgent
Summary: Regina gave her life for the town, and now the town writes her letters to say all the things they never said... and to find closure. (Each chapter is a letter from a different character. I will be adding the story of how she died in between letters.)
1. His Best Chance

**Hi everyone so this is a bit different from other writings I've done, so bear with me. Each of the chapters in this fanfic are going to be different citizens of Storybrooke writing letters to Regina who died saving them. It is sort of their way of making peace with her being gone and saying things that they never would have said to her in person. I hope you all enjoy and please read and review and let me know which characters you want to hear from and if there is something special you want them to say. I am perfectly fine with doing more than one letter from the same character.**

**I unfortunately do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its amazing characters.**

_Dear Regina,_

_Hey, so you're gone… and things have been pretty hard. Henry is doing okay I guess, I mean he misses you… a lot. He is putting on this whole brave act when we are out in public, or even when he is around me, but I can see right through it. He is a lot like you in that way I guess, not wanting the world to see him cry or anything like that, but the truth is he does cry. Late at night I hear him in his room and I have no idea what to do, I feel like everything I say to him just isn't enough. Who am I kidding? This was always the stuff you were good at. Yeah, I'm good at playing along with the whole Operation Cobra stuff and being the fun aunt type of person… but you… you were the mother. _

_Hell! Why am I even writing this damn letter!? It's not like you can even read it! It's not like you will ever be able to read it! Why the hell would Mary Margret even suggest doing something like this?! She was just rambling on about how it will make us all feel better and shit. To be honest I just really wanted to tell her to shut the hell up! ... I guess you would have laughed if I had… you probably would have laughed… if you weren't dead… _

_I mean seriously! What the hell Regina?! Why did you just have to go and sacrifice yourself like that?! I mean yeah, I get it; you saved us all and stuff. But still… why did you have to die? I mean we all acted like it was a living hell to have you around but the true living hell is that you aren't here. It just makes this place seem so empty and broken, you added a flare to this town, you were the fire that gave it life, literally! And now you are gone and the fire has died… nothing is the same and I don't think it will ever be again._

_Anyway, back to Henry (to be honest I just need to write about him to keep myself from crying, I don't want to make this letter look more crappy then it already is, I mean Mary Margret is writing hers and it is all smeared from her crying) the kid is tough, he is already back to school and he is doing really well. Archie thinks he should talk with him though, but I'm not sure if Henry wants to go back to therapy. I mean who knows, it might be just what he needs, or it could be the thing that puts him over the edge… I have no clue. God! I just feel like I'm failing at everything! He is such a good kid and he is trying so hard to make things easier on me, I mean he is so self efficient and hell he is just a kid! I mean most kids would be just spiraling downward in a free fall after something like this, but he isn't. If anything Henry is the one climbing up and pulling himself through it and I feel like the kid is having to pull me through it too._

_All those years ago I gave him up so that he could have his best chance. And that was you Regina, you were his best chance. And you raised Henry better than I ever could have, he is so strong and caring, he has so much heart… just like you. And now you are gone and if it wasn't for him I would have never known you had existed. You did an amazing job raising him, and I just want to say… thank you Regina. Thank you for raising my son and for loving him and teaching him, thank you for being the mother I couldn't be. And above all, thank you for showing me what it means to be a mother and a savior. You showed me that, it was one of the many things I am proud to say I learned from you… and I will never forget it, I will never forget you._

_Thank you Regina for being his best chance,_

_Emma_


	2. Going Down For the Ship

_Dear Regina,_

_Alright love, let's get one thing straight; I am only writing this letter because Swan is writing one and I figured it would be best for her sake if I did too. This isn't going to be one of those "I despise the entire world now because you are gone" kind of letters I swear that on my reputation as a pirate, because we both know that there were times when we both wanted to kill each other. But alas, I do have some words that I would like to say to you now that I know my heart is safe from your grasp. And don't worry love; it won't be all bad stuff._

_Believe me; I do not take your passing lightly, we may not have always agreed or gotten along but I still… there were times that I did consider you to be a friend. And I have to say this town had gotten a bit dull without you around, I mean no one here has as sharp a tongue as you did and to be honest I think it is really getting to Swan. You and she defiantly did not always get along but I think in the end you two came as close to friends as you could have gotten._

_In my time I have seen many captains go down with their ship. I have seen even more captains flee their sinking vessels with what is left of their crew. But never before have I seen a captain go down for their ship, that is until I witnessed your sacrifice for this town._

_The Evil Queen I met all those years ago in the enchanted forest was one who mirrored her mother. (And I know that because I worked with your mother love, and you two were very much alike.) You were a haughty siren who used fear and threats to get what you wanted and you truly were an Evil Queen. And that mate is coming from a pirate. But alas I guess just like this pirate the years of hatred and revenge became nothing once you found someone worth living for again. And though you were still a haughty siren, you couldn't have been more unlike Cora. I say cheers to that; I know you don't 'do' rum but that means more for this devilishly handsome pirate. (I just got elbowed by Snow White for writing that, but what can I say I am devilishly handsome.) I'd like to think you might chuckle at the look I'm getting right now from your step-daughter._

_Well I think I've said all I desire._

_Cheers to you,_

_Hook_

**Oh gosh! I hope I did Hook justice, I had such a hard time trying to sound like him and not get all mushy and chick-flickish. Let me know your thoughts and let me know who else you want to hear from! And please don't kill me for ruining Hook!**


	3. Blind Shepherd

Dear_ Regina,_

_God, I never thought I would be writing you a letter like this. Actually I never thought I would be writing you a letter at all except to order you to surrender. For as long as I knew you I had only ever thought of you as the Evil Queen, nothing more, nothing less. I thought you were the enemy and for a long time I was correct to think so, but times changed, you changed, I didn't. I only saw you as the enemy, I saw you as the giant threat that I always needed to keep an eye on. I guess one could say that I viewed myself as the shepherd protecting my flock and you were the wolf. I never stopped and thought, I let the role of Prince Charming take over whom I was and how I acted, and I forgot to treat you like a human. _

_It kills me to realize too late that you had changed so much and gone to hell and back just to do that and I couldn't let go of the past. I thought I was good but in all reality I was blind, blind to your feelings, blind to how you changed, blind to your desire to redeem yourself. I never let go of the past, I could never just leave it behind. God I feel like the biggest ass ever, all you wanted was to put it all behind you and to be accepted and all I ever did was push you away. Heck I was one of the first ones to accuse you of murdering Archie when we though he was dead and you were trying to be a better mother for Henry. And that drove you right into Cora's arms just like she had apparently wanted, it's because of me that you slipped up and people only shut you out more. _

_You did so many horrible things and it was always directed at those that I loved, I always thought that you would turn back to your evil ways and continue to try and hurt Snow. It was my fear of losing Snow and my memories of the past that blinded me from ever seeing the change. Regina I want to make it clear though that I do not regret protecting my family, I do however regret not ever really giving you the chance to become a part of that family. No one should ever have to be alone and because of the demons of your past you were. And I can't help now but feel like I was partially the cause for that. Snow always wanted to believe that the woman she knew as a child was still in there. Emma is devastated now because she thinks that you were a better mother than she could ever be and that you were Henry's real mother, (I told her that you were Henry's mother but so is she and she is.) But for me, I don't have the memories that Snow has, or the alternate experience that Emma has, all I had to go off of was my memories of the Enchanted Forest and the war with you. For all I was concerned that was enough for me to go off of, I never took the time to discover that the Evil Queen was no longer, that you had given up your old ways._

_I don't think I will ever be able to forgive myself for your death; I should have tried harder to stop it. I think Ruby blames herself too; I heard her talking to Archie in the diner about it. She is still very shaken up and she has every right to be, your death… I have seen many soldiers die in my life, but as you died… it was something I honestly wish I hadn't seen but at the same time I feel as if it was something fate needed me to watch. It was the only thing that made me open my eyes and find that life isn't the same as it used to be, and that it will never be that way again. If I were to say I never wanted to see you dead then I would be lying, but to actually see it… to see such a thing… I realized that I didn't want that. Because you are not the Evil Queen, you are not a savage wolf, you are Regina Mills, and you are human._

_I will not be blind to change ever again. I promise,_

_David_

**Hi everyone, I hope that you all enjoyed David's letter and that it wasn't too sappy. I love the reviews I'm getting so far! Next update will include a bit of the story of what happened to Regina (it will be revealed slowly.) Please leave me comments or reviews and let me know who you want to hear from!**


	4. Title on the Cover

_Dear Regina,_

_I hope you are doing well and have finally found some peace and happiness wherever you are now. I know we were never friends, and I like every person in this town had a right to hate you… I don't. I guess it is just like one of my favorite saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover' because no matter how hard I might have wanted to hate you, and no matter how much pain you caused me, I could never bring myself to truly hate you. You and Rumple suffered the same way, your past made you do horrible things and people labeled you as a monster. I saw past Rumple's darkness and love every part of him both dark and light, and I realize now that you never had someone who was willing to do that for you. _

_Rumple only changed for me and I love him all the more for that, but still I had to help him along the way, and it was worth it. But you Regina, I just barely realized that you never had that someone to help you. You wanted to change for the people you loved but no one gave you that helping hand that everyone needs. Rumple had me to believe in him, but no one was there to believe in you. I stayed by his side and it made him strong and helped to face his demons, you stood alone and faced the same darkness without someone by your side. _

_I thought that being locked up alone for over 28 years was torture no one should ever have to endure. No one ever realized how alone you were and how you had to face that every day of your life. I know that you did many horrible things, some even unspeakable, and I know that you mentally and physically tortured me for years, but you were the one who suffered the worse curse of all. You suffered alone, you were alone, and it turned you dark. But your love and your desire to change for your son gave you the power to face the past and your demons and look towards a brighter future. _

_You lived alone Regina with no one there to believe in you and believe that you could change. But I want you to know that right now, wherever you are, I believe in you and I know you changed, and I am not the only one. People judged you by your cover Regina and that was wrong, but now you are the story I want to read, so I can understand, and so you will no longer be alone._

_I believe you are more than a title,_

_Belle_

A Week Before-

Charming sat beside Snow at the kitchen counter, both of them had their hands on her belly feeling as the growing baby inside kicked. Snow chuckled and looked up at Charming to see him smiling even though the rest of his face looked tired and worried. Snow frowned and asked, "Charming, what's wrong?"

He sighed and pulled his hand off of her stomach, "Nothing, I'm just thinking." He said and looked away.

"About Zelena?" Snow asked but it wasn't really a question. She reached forward and took his hand, "Charming, we will defeat Zelena, she cannot win. Not as long as we hold onto what we've always had," He looked up at her and smiled. "not so long as we have hope." She finished and smiled at him.

Charming leaned forward and kissed her, "You're right Snow." He said with a smile.

"Did you ever doubt me?" She asked with a teasing smile.

Charming shrugged and nodded his head playfully, "The thought did occur." He joked.

"Charming!" Snow gasped lightheartedly and hit his arm.

"Ouch! Hey hey! It was a joke, I surrender!" Charming said and raised his hands in the air. Both of them laughed and leaned in to kiss. But before their lips could touch a sharp knocking echoed through the apartment. "I've got it." Charming said with a sigh and pulled away, standing up and walking over to the door. He opened it and found himself in the direct line of fire as he was pushed aside by Regina. "Regina?!" He said and turned looking at her bewilderedly.

Snow looked at Regina in confusion and asked, "Regina, what's wrong?"

The brunette looked at Snow than at Charming and sighed then said, "It's happening tomorrow."

Charming looked thoroughly confused now and closed the door before walking over to her. "What? What is happening tomorrow?" He demanded.

Regina looked at him with fear in her whiskey brown eyes and said, "Zelena's casting her curse tomorrow."

TBC

**Hope everyone liked Belle's letter, I tried to make her sound as Belleish as I could. And also I hope you liked the snippet of the story of what happened to Regina, I promise there will be more to it. Please let me know who you want to hear from next and leave me comments and reviews you fabulous people of the world! **


	5. Darkness and Light

_Dear Regina,_

_Hello Deary, it's been a long time since I've written you a letter, hasn't it? Some would say it has been too long and I would have to agree, I just wish it was under better circumstances that such a letter were to be written. After all for as long as I've known you we have always needed one another for some odd purpose. Our path is one that few have traveled, it is dark and chaotic, it is one filled with terror and bitterness, but most of all it is lonely. And loneliness is something you never deserved but still it was I who cursed it upon you._

_This letter is not only a letter Regina; it is not meaningless words thrown together on paper. This is a story, it is a story I believe you know quite well, it is about a young girl and a powerful sorcerer, it is about trust and betrayal, and light consumed by darkness. It is a story never told until now and one that will never mean as much to those who did not live it but it will mean the world to those who did._

_Once upon a time there was a young girl who many thought had more than enough to be happy. She had wealth, lovely dresses, a large house, beauty, and most of all the girl had a ring on her left hand given to her by the king. Anybody would think this girl had more than enough to be truly happy, except she wasn't. She was missing something more important than all the jewels, dresses, and gold in the world could buy, she was missing love. The girl had lost her true love to the wrath of her mother, a powerful and heartless sorceress, and had been immediately engaged to the king. She felt alone in the world and she felt trapped in the cage her mother had built around her, so she asked for help to escape. _

_Her help came in the form of a powerful dark sorcerer who helped her, but he did not help her out of the kindness of his heart but for his own hidden purposes. The sorcerer encouraged her, he lifted her up and made her feel special, he taught her and helped her powers to grow. But most importantly, he darkened her, he poisoned her heart and mind with hate and revenge, constantly reminding the girl of what was stolen from her, of how many people had used her and abused her. He reminded her that her magic and anger were all she had. He ripped all hope of happiness and love away from her because he needed her heart to be filled with darkness and her soul to roar for vengeance. Any hope for a second chance that the young queen had became nothing more than far off fantasies, and because of the sorcerer the girl became alone and hated. This of course had been his plan all along, he had always worked his own agenda, and for his plans to succeed he needed the gentle and kind young girl he once knew to become an evil queen. And just like always, he did whatever was necessary to achieve his goals. Because of that sorcerer the darkness consumed the light and the young girls heart turned black as night. Once he was sure she was desperate enough for her revenge, he tricked her into casting a dark curse, one that would cause her to have to give up the only thing good she had left in her life. The queen had to give up the heart of her father. The dark sorcerer had achieved in his scheme, but he ruined a beautiful thing in order to do so._

_This is our story, yours Regina and mine. I ruined your second chance at happiness and it was I who turned you to follow the path of hate. I cursed you to suffer a fate so similar to mine, and it pains me to see what my own malevolence caused you to go through. You were hurt so young because you cared for others so much; I made it so you didn't care about others at all, but it was you who learned to care again. _

_To most this is nothing more than a letter, to some it is simply a story, but to you and I this is our story, and this is my apology. I am sorry Regina, if only I could have realized sooner how unfair it was for me to use you in such a way. If only the darkness hadn't consumed the light._

_The Evil Queen is dead, long live Regina Mills,_

_Rumpelstiltskin_

Snow looked at Regina with wide terrified green eyes and asked, "What? What do you mean? How do you know?"

Regina walked over to Snow and put her hands on the counter, "Zelena told me." She said and her gaze shifted between Charming and Snow. "She appeared in my office and told me that you would be going into labor before the night ends and that she would be casting the curse tomorrow."

Charming looked at Regina and asked, "How do you know she is telling the truth? She could just be trying to trick us."

"And why would she do that? She has everything she needs for the curse, except your baby." Regina pointed out and motioned her hand to Snow's stomach.

Charming crossed his arms and said firmly, "Which she won't be getting, ever."

Regina rolled her eyes and said coolly, "Oh yes, because you alone can stop Zelena?"

"Does that mean you aren't going to help us?" Charming asked and Snow swallowed nervously.

Regina frowned and leaned forward looking angry and slightly hurt. "Would I be here if I weren't going to help?" She asked and both Snow and Charming averted her gaze. "That's what I thought." Regina said and straightened up again. "Now, I have a plan." She said looking at them.

Snow straightened up, "Really? What is it?" She asked eagerly.

Regina looked at Snow and sighed, "I'm going to use a spell to destroy my sister."

Charming raised an eyebrow, "Really? That simple? Why didn't you try that until now?" He asked sounding a bit annoyed.

"Because," Regina began with a slightly sad sternness to her tone. "this spell is one most people wouldn't use. It has a high price to pay in order to be cast."

"Like the dark curse?" Snow asked looking concerned. "Regina what is the price?" She asked worriedly.

Regina looked up from where she was staring at the counter top and into Snow's eyes. "The price for this one is a sacrifice…" Regina said and swallowed. "Whoever cast it must sacrifice their own life as well."

"No!" Snow and Charming said at the same time.

Regina jumped a bit and looked at them with genuine surprise. "Excuse me?" She said her eyebrows furrowed.

"You heard us." Charming said firmly. "The answer is no, we will not let you sacrifice yourself in order to destroy Zelena."

"Charming's right, Regina there must be other ways." Snow said with a hopeful smile. "There always is, and together we will find one."

Regina felt her throat tighten and her eyes grow wet, it had been so long for her since someone had said something like that to her, to go out of their way because they didn't want her to suffer. But she had been the one to hear Zelena and she knew that there wasn't time to find another way.

Suddenly Snow gasped and grabbed her stomach. Both Regina and Charming rushed over to her and Charming's voice was thick with alarm, "Snow, what's wrong!?" He demanded.

Snow looked up at them with excited yet scared green eyes, "It's the baby! It's coming!"

TBC

**So I told my friend about how this was going to end and I got hit in the head. I hope you all enjoyed Rumple's little heart to heart moment in that letter and please don't hate me for being an evil writer. Please read and review, leave comments, I love hearing what you all think! **


	6. Shielded Heart

_Dear Regina,_

_I am so sorry; I am so so sorry. I know that there is nothing I can say to you Regina to make up for all the heartache I alone have caused you, but I want to try… I want to hope that even now you can hear me. I never meant to hurt you, all I ever wanted was for us to be a family, but all I ever caused you was pain and misery. It was because of me that you lost Daniel, because I broke my promise, because I couldn't keep a secret… I didn't keep your secret… the one thing you ever fully entrusted me with. _

_I was such a stupid little girl who has grown up to become a foolish woman. I tricked you into murdering your own mother, not a day goes by that I don't think about it and regret it with my whole being. Because of me you were trapped in a marriage to a man who never even called you beautiful. I never realized until too late how my father treated us so differently, you didn't know him as the man I did, and I never knew the side of him that you saw. I've only just realized that he never called you beautiful, he never smiled or even looked at you in the same way he looked at my mother and I, he never… he never could truly love you. And you could never truly love him; I can't even imagine how horrible it must have been to not be loved and to have to raise the child who caused your true love's death. It terrifies me to say this… but I understand now._

_I ruined your life in so many ways, so many times, and even after all of that, even though I made your life more than unbearable, you still gave everything up for me. So many people in this town wanted to see you fall; they wanted to see you suffer, I took everything from you, but still… you gave your life to save us all. And we will never forget that Regina, I will never forget that and I will make sure that when people tell stories of you, they will tell of the strong, brave, and beautiful Queen. I will tell little Leo about you, he will only ever know you as the wonderful and resilient woman who saved everyone he knows, including his mother and himself. And even though you are gone Regina, you are not alone, you have a family and you will forever have this family no matter what the past because you gave us a future. _

_No matter how bad things got between us, you should never have had to be alone. And if things could be different I would make sure you were never alone again. I was told your heart was filled with darkness by so many people. But I've seen your heart Regina, and that darkness is no more than a thin cracked shell meant to keep out pain. Underneath that shield your heart was bright and alive with love, because for you when you loved someone it was unconditional and undying and I can see that now. You shielded your heart because you once cared too much and you got hurt. You saved a young girl on a runaway horse and your life was ruined. In the end Regina you faced the real darkness in the world and you faced it alone in order to save those who had spent so long caring nothing of your feelings. And I am sorry Regina… I just wish so many things could have been different._

_I miss you Regina but I know that you have finally found a place where you no longer have to shield your heart._

_Love,_

_Snow White_

Charming held Snow's hand as they rushed through the halls of the hospital with Regina following quickly behind them. Whale pushed Snow into a room and began to get ready to deliver the baby, "Breath, just keep breathing." He instructed the woman who was trying hard to mimic his breathing.

Charming held her hand and almost cried out in pain as her grip almost broke his fingers. "It's alright Snow, everything is going to be okay." He said looking at her with a smile even though he was gritting his teeth from the pain in his hand.

Snow looked at him with wide bewildered green eyes and a red face, "No! It's not going to be alright Charming!" She said loudly and moaned again. "It's happening! Just like Regina said Zelena had told her!" Snow said with tears running down her face. "She is going to take my baby! Regina was right!"

"Hey! Hey!" Charming said and made her look him in the eye as Whale barked orders in the background. "No one is taking this baby!" He said looking at his wife his blue gaze dead serious.

Snow looked at him and half sobbed half yelled, "But Regina said that I was going to give birth before the night was up! And I'm giving birth!"

Charming grabbed her hand firmly with both of his and said, "And I'm telling you now, no one is getting this baby! Our little Leo will be safe and sound in your arms."

"Leo?" Snow gasped through the pain and tears.

Charming smiled and nodded, "Yes, of course! Forget what I said at Regina's house, our son will have a strong kingly name, Prince Leopold. Leo for short of course." He added and then closed his eyes in pain again.

Snow nodded happily before crying out in pain again. "Leo, I love it!" She gasped, then looked away from Charming, her green gaze searching hurriedly around the room."Charming , where is Regina?" She asked loudly.

Charming looked around and felt his heart beat speed up even faster as he spotted the Queen nowhere. "Regina?" He called. "Regina?" He called again.

A nurse turned to him and said quickly, "She left a few minutes ago, and in a hurry too. She poofed herself out of the hospital."

"Charming!" Snow cried. "You have to find her!"

Charming turned to Snow and shook his head, "No! I'm not leaving you! You're in labor!"

"DAMMIT CHARMING! I SAID GO AND FIND HER!" Snow roared and it sounded so strange coming from her that it scared Charming into nodding. "Now go!" Snow ordered.

Charming sighed and kissed her forehead before racing out of the room and through the halls of the hospital into the parking lot. Taking out his cell phone he called Emma and got no answer. "Emma!" He growled and then dialed Ruby.

"Hello?" A voice came through the phone.

"Ruby! It's David!" Charming said as he got into his truck.

"David! Is everything alright, you sound worked up. Is it Snow? Is she okay?" Ruby demanded through the phone.

Charming sped out of the parking lot onto the road and said hurriedly, "Snow's in labor but she's fine. I need your help."

"Of course I'll be right there." Ruby said quickly.

"No wait Ruby! Not with that! I need your help finding Regina." Charming said and turned a corner fast.

"Regina? Why?" Ruby asked. Then Charming heard another voice on her end of the phone and Ruby said, "Not right now Hook."

"Hook is there with you? Bring him too, we might need him." Charming ordered her.

Ruby paused and then Charming heard her say something quickly to Hook. Then her voice came through the phone again, "David, what's going on? Why do we need to find Regina?"

Charming took a breath and said, "Because I think she is about to use a spell to stop Zelena, and kill herself in the process."

**Hi peeps, I'm alive, had a busy night last night. A friend's home caught fire so my family helped her family out. Anyway, I hope you all liked the letter from Snow and I hope that the background story isn't too boring. Please let me know who you want a letter from and please read and review! I love reviews and comments! Thanks to all who read my story, I love you! **


	7. And When I Wake

_Dear Regina,_

_It haunts me. I don't think I will ever get the image of you out of my head… I see it all the time. Whenever I close my eyes I see you, and you're just lying there, you're not moving… or breathing… just bleeding and… dying. I dream about it every night and it is always the same, I can never stop it or change it. You just lay there in the snow bleeding out, and I press my hands to the wounds to try and stop it, even if it's only in a dream. And when I wake up I swear I can still smell the blood, fresh, as if it were still on my hands._

_I tried talking to Granny about it but she was never the best with this type of stuff, though she does try. I told her about how I can still smell the blood; she told me that it was most likely because of the wolf that the smell still lingers. She is trying to help me as best as she can, but I know she can't ever understand what happened fully, she wasn't there. I know that you had very few fans in life Regina, and my granny was never one of them. But your sacrifice earned something between you and her because she has never poured coffee over anyone's head until two days ago when some idiot was in the diner yelling about how grateful we should all be that you're finally gone. It seems people in this town are suddenly realizing how dangerous it is to say hurtful things against you now. And those few who are stupid enough to try end up regretting it fast. A few days ago Gold beat a man with his cane because the bastard was running around celebrating your death. Even Leroy sucker punched a guy at 'The Rabbit Hole' who was buying everyone rounds in order to rejoice in the death of as he said, "Regina Mills, the Evil Whore who fucked her way into the crown." The guy called the sheriff station to report Leroy and Emma drove over to the bar and broke the guys' nose. He deserved worse than that, if I were Emma I would have done a hell of a lot worse. _

_No one in this town truly understands what happened, what you did, what you went through to save us. No one except Charming, Hook, and I, and not even we will ever truly understand. But I do understand one thing; you Madam Mayor were one of the most selfless and dauntless women I have ever met, and hell did you show it. Even as you lay there looking up at us, you showed just how fearless you were and how much you cared. And if I'm plagued with the memory of you dying for the rest of my life, then so be it, because that means I will forever see the bravery of the one woman who saved us all. The one woman who above all others deserves respect and remembrance for all eternity. And to all the idiot's in this town who raise a glass in celebration of your death come the full moon I am going to hunt them down, because I will only raise a glass in celebration of your life._

_Though we had many bad times, I chose to remember you as I hope people will remember me. Not as a monster, but as woman with extraordinary resiliency in the face of adversity. Someone who like me had to deal with a storm inside of them, and took it with both hands and embraced it._

_Because of you we are all still here, thank you Regina,_

_Ruby_

Regina stood over the well, her dark locks tucked behind her ears and her hands spread over the bubbling smoky blue water within the well casting magic from herself into the water. Her breath clouded around her as she stood in the snow, the cold and sorrow turning her nose red and her eyes watered as she held back tears. She let her magic concentrate on the spell as she neared the end of another stage of it. At this stage of the spell Regina was having to think of the reasons she would pay such a high price to cast such a spell because part of the spell itself needed reason, it needed strong powerful memories that would cause the caster to make such a sacrifice. Regina looked at the purple light coming from her hands into the well, sharing her memories to fuel the spell, sharing her true feelings, her raw emotions. Her whiskey colored eyes closed as she remembered. She thought of young Snow, the small girl who was so innocent that Regina could push her hatred aside for a time and love the little girl. She thought of Henry, her son who she loves with all her being, but who doesn't even remember her but still she loves him unconditionally. Her former mentor Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, the beauty and the beast, two completely different people who managed to find true love in one another. She thought of the overly optimistic Prince Charming and his annoying ability to turn any line into sounding like it was from a chick flick. And Ruby, Hook, Archie, Granny, and even Leroy, they were all people she was willing to give her life to save. Even though sometimes she hates them all and they all hate her in return, this town is her family and each one of them deserve to live their happily ever after.

"Regina!" A voice sounded behind the woman and she turned her head slightly to see Charming running towards her, followed closely by Ruby and Hook. "Regina! We told you already, we can find another way!" Charming gasped as he stopped a few feet away from her.

Regina's face was filled with sorrowful determination and she cast a sideways glance at the three standing only a few feet away from her. "There is no time, Zelena has to be stopped before she can get Snow's baby." She said and a tear slid down her cheek.

"We can protect Snow." Ruby chimed in and took a step forward. "Like we always do." She added.

"The lass is right Regina, there is no need for self sacrifice." Hook said and looked at her with sincerity.

Regina wanted to believe them, but she knew better, she knew this time there wasn't another option. Snow was in labor and Zelena would be after the child, once Zelena has the child she can enact her curse and no one would be powerful enough to stop her. So Regina would stop her now, and she would put an end to her sister once and for all. The dark haired woman turned to the three people at her side and shook her head, "No, there is no other way. There is no time for another plan, either I do this or we all end up possible never having existed." She said firmly trying to keep her voice steady.

Charming looked at her with a furrowed brow. "Regina, it won't happen like that. You know how it always goes, just like we always say, good always wins." He said trying to give her a reassuring smile.

Regina rolled her eyes by force of habit. "This is a battle between wicked and evil, not good and evil. And this time neither side will win, but I will ensure that this war is over." She said taking up her regal tone.

"Oh will you now sis?" A chuckle sounded from the other side of the clearing.

Regina looked up with surprise in her whiskey colored eyes and she heard Ruby gasp in shock as all four of them looked at Zelena. The red headed woman had her arms crossed haughtily and looked at them all with amusement. "And how do you plan on doing that?" Zelena asked with a sly smirk.

Regina glared at her sister and then said coolly, "By using magic of course." She said and eyed the well. She saw Zelena frown with anger at the snarky reply. "What have you done to Snow?" Regina suddenly demanded hoping that the short haired brunette was safe with her baby.

"Oh relax sis, I wouldn't bother going after her myself. Not when I can come here and watch you fail at trying to destroy me. I sent Rumpelstiltskin to retrieve the baby." Zelena chuckled and began walking across the clearing. Charming began to run at her with his sword in hand and Zelena threw her hand up sending him flying back into a tree trunk where thick vines wrapped around him.

"We won't let this happen!" Ruby growled and glared at Zelena. She then glanced at Hook and he nodded, both she and Hook charged from different directions at Zelena.

"Ruby! Hook! Wait!" Charming yelled as he saw Zelena summon more vines to wrap violently around the waitress and pirate, pinning them to tree's as well.

"Well that didn't work." Hook groaned in pain after slamming against the tree trunk.

Zelena looked at the three of them in disgust and sneered, "Pathetic."

Ruby, much like Charming and Hook, was struggling and trying to use her wolf strength the break through the vines. The young woman let out a quite literal growl as she struggled violently. "You leave her alone!" She yelled as Zelena approached Regina who had used the few minutes of distraction to start the final stage of the spell.

"No I don't think I will." Zelena said with a laugh and turned to look at Regina. "Well Regina, I feel that since we are sisters and all that, I should give you a choice. Stop whatever pathetic spell you are attempting now and live the last few hours of your existence with those you seem to care so dearly for, or attempt to continue and perish now." The red head said with a sinister grin.

Regina looked up at Zelena with a stone cold gaze and smirked, "Bring it Greenie." She said coolly knowing that this was what was necessary.

Zelena scowled and then smiled quickly again, "Indeed I will." She said and backed up a few steps. She knew that Regina was so set on trying to activate whatever spell she was trying to cast that she wouldn't have the chance to fight back, and she could end Regina slowly and painfully here and now. Zelena smiled and raised her hand pointing a finger quickly at Regina. Immediately a black ebony spike erupted from the ground and stabbed Regina through the side.

"Ahhh!" Regina cried out in pain but kept her magic concentrated on the spell, she needed to keep it active until death was inevitable.

"REGINA!" Charming yelled and struggled harder. He kicked out hitting his feet hard on the trunk of the tree.

Hook flinched as he heard what was going on around him, but he didn't dare look up, he was trying to focus on using his hook to cut through the vines.

"NO!" Ruby screamed as she saw Zelena send a second ebony spike through Regina's other side. The queen's crimson blood dripped onto the snowy ground turning the white snow blood red. But still Regina didn't stop, her bright purple magic shot into the well in a strong current.

Zelena laughed as she watched her sister, "I don't see why everyone thinks you are so special Regina!" She laughed. "You," A thin ebony spike shot through Regina's core. "are," another black spike sprang from the earth piercing the queen through and through. "pathetic." Zelena sent another spike shooting up and through Regina, causing the queen to actually be lifted off the ground.

"STOP IT! STOP IT PLEASE!" Ruby cried, tears stinging her eyes and cheeks.

Hook had given up on cutting his way out now and was watching Zelena and Regina in pure shock, horror and rage. "THAT'S ENOUGH! THAT IS ENOUGH! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HER! STOP IT DAMMIT!" He yelled.

Charming was watching as he struggled like a mad man. "REGINA! REGINA! DON'T DO THIS! ZELENA YOU ARE KILLING HER!" He yelled with pure emotion.

Blood dripped in a steady stream down the spikes into the snow. Regina's coat was thick with blood and the woman was slouched forward on the ebony spears. Regina looked weakly up at her sister and managed a smirk, "You just signed the deed to your own death." She laughed through the tears and the movement itself was agonizing.

Zelena smiled and looked at her shaking her head, "No Regina dear, this is the day you die, this is the day my happiness begins." Zelena said and flicked her finger one last time, a large ebony spike speared Regina right through her stomach and the queen gasped in pain, blood coming out of her mouth.

With what was left of her magic Regina used it to give herself a moment of strength. She looked at her sister from where she was dangling a foot in the air from the spikes and she laughed. It was excruciatingly painful and every breath sent almost unbearable pain though her, but still Regina laughed. She then looked Zelena in the eyes and croaked, "Not today."

Suddenly the well burst to life and large beams of light shot into the air, arcing over and hitting Zelena. The witch looked shocked beyond compare and tried to flinch away from the magical beams. She suddenly released a scream of agony as the lights melted her where she stood. As Zelena died the vines restraining Charming, Hook and Ruby retreated back into the woods, dropping the three to the ground. The ebony spikes that impaled Regina eroded into tiny beads of ebony littering the bloody snow under Regina.

The woman dropped to the ground and landed on her back. She was pale from blood loss and the light in her eyes was fading fast. Ruby was the first to her feet and rushed over to the queen, immediately pressing her hands to the blood soaked black coat, trying her hardest to stop the bleeding. But the blood only seeped through her fingers and onto the snow and ebony shards. Behind Ruby, Charming was rushing over with Hook, Hook got down to his knees wanting to help but he could tell that there was no point. Regina was closing her eyes, her breaths becoming fewer and fewer.

"Hey! Regina! Hey! Stay with us!" Charming ordered her and put her head in his lap.

Dull whiskey eyes opened and looked at them with a small fire still burning within, a fire that would never truly go out. "Is she gone?" Regina croaked and blood stained her mouth.

"Yes love, she is gone. And we are going to get you some help now, just hold on." Hook said and held her hand trying to keep her awake with Charming as Ruby pressed onto the wounds trying to stop the bleeding but to no avail.

Regina looked at them and managed a weak smile and shake of her head. "No, I have to go." She said and took a painful breath. "All-" She gasped. "All magic comes with a price."

"Regina don't say that! We are going to get you help, you're going to pull through." Charming said and wiped blood away from her mouth.

Regina looked at him with fake annoyance and said for old time sake, "Save it Charming."

Ruby looked at Regina and tears were pouring from the young waitress's eyes. "Regina, come on! You can't die like this! You still have so much you need to be here for, like to see Snow's baby, and to see Henry." Ruby pleaded even though it was futile. "Please Regina."

The queen looked at her with warmth in her gaze and said, "They know I love them, even if sometimes they have a hard time remembering that." Each word for her was a struggle and she began to have trouble making words at all. She looked at the three people around her and felt in hear heart that she had done the right thing, that it had been worth it, they had been worth it. Regina leaned her head back into Charming's lap, her eyes closed.

"Regina?" Charming said. He touched the woman's cheek. "Regina!" He said louder and put his fingers to her neck trying to find a pulse. "REGINA!" He yelled and Ruby was sobbing and Hook had turned away, Charming couldn't find a pulse, he looked at her. She looked almost peaceful as she lay there in the crimson and white snow littered with shinning black ebony. Charming looked at Ruby and Hook then back at Regina and said quietly, "She's gone…"

**Oh my gosh! Sorry this one is longer than usual; I just started writing and couldn't stop. I hope you guys enjoy it and that it isn't too hard of a read. Thanks to all those who commented and gave me reviews, I really appreciate it. Please continue with the comments and reviews, I seriously love them.**


	8. You Left Me

_Mom,_

_Why did you have to go and do that mom? Why? You left me; you gave up your life and left me behind. I don't know what to do; Emma doesn't know what to do… I feel so lost. No matter what happened or how bad things got during our life here in Storybrooke you were always here, you were a constant. I pushed you away and threw you aside so many times and you had every right to hate me but you never did, you always loved me… always. Part of me wishes that through all the times I said I didn't love you and called you evil that you had turned your love for me into hate, I wish you had hated me, because then this wouldn't hurt so much. Why did you have to love me so much? Why did you have to care about all of us so much? I wish you hadn't cared! Because then you would still be here, with all of us, where you belong. Why did I have to beg you to change? Ever since I found out who you really were all I ever did was force you to change, if I hadn't done that… if you hadn't become good… then you wouldn't have sacrificed yourself. Why did you have to love so much?_

_Part of me wishes I had never gotten my memories back, that part of me wishes I could have remained oblivious to who you really were and how much your loss really means to me. For an instant after I drank the memory potion Mr. Gold made I was happy, excited even, because I remembered everything. I remembered the adventures, I remember finding Emma, I remembered breaking the curse and being in Neverland with you all. But that was only for a heartbeat because then I remembered you… I remembered how you aren't here anymore, how you weren't there for me to run up and hug. You weren't standing there waiting to hold me in your arms again and hear all my stupid stories about New York. Emma feels awful about it, I can tell she didn't want to give me my memories back, but she did it for you. She believed that you deserved for me to remember you. But with my memories of all the adventures are also all the times I hurt you. If I had never gone to find Emma, if I had stayed in Storybrooke and loved you as much as you loved me, if I had never broken the curse, then maybe… maybe you would still be alive._

_Why did you have to become the hero? You loved us all so much more than we ever realized, we all took it for granted, I took it for granted. I took your love for granted time and time again. Why did you have to love so much that you would change from a hero to a villain? It isn't fare! You changed! You weren't a villain anymore! The good guys aren't supposed to die! That's not how the story goes! Is this because of me? Am I the villain now? I am the one who hurt you and called you evil, I ruined your happy ending by breaking the curse! Does that make me a villain? Is that why you died, because of me? You only ever wanted what was best for me and to keep me safe, and all I did was hurt you and push you away, you loved me and I ripped myself away from you, I ripped away the thing you loved… doesn't that make me a villain? _

_I don't know what to do mommy! I miss you so much! Emma is concerned, Archie is concerned, everyone is concerned about me! They have all always been concerned about me! No one was ever concerned about you… but you were concerned about them and their futures anyway. If I could I would take it all back, I would go back and stay here in Storybrooke, curled up in your arms and let you love me and I would never call you the Evil Queen again. If only I had hugged you one last time, if only I had remembered before it was too late._

_I miss you so much mommy, but I am trying to stay strong just like you did. I want to be strong like you; I want to be able to love as much as you loved. But most of all I want you back… I want you back more than I've ever wanted anything before in my life, I love you mommy and I should have said it more often. _

_I love you for forever and always mommy,_

_Henry_

The world seemed slowed down and choppy as Charming walked through the halls of the hospital. His limbs felt like lead and he could still picture the moment that all life left the Queen. His heart was heavy with grief and self-loathing which only increased the closer he got to the room Snow was in. He had to tell her, she had to find out, she had to know that the woman she had just worked so hard to get back in her life was gone. When Charming had first entered the lobby he had been surprised to see Belle holding a grief-stricken Rumpelstiltskin in her arms. Charming guessed that is must have become obvious to the dark sorcerer what had happened along with all the other bits and pieces of hell that the man had endured alone over the past few weeks. But still to see the great and powerful Dark One showing so much grief and emotion only made Charming's heart hurt more.

Charming stopped in the doorway outside of Snow's room and took a shaky breath, he felt numb. Taking a step into the doorway he saw Snow sitting in bed holding a small bundle of blankets. Snow looked up with delighted green eyes and smiled, "Charming." She said happily. Her smile quickly faded as she took in her husband's features and saw the drying blood on his jacket and pants. "Charming? What is it? What's wrong?" She asked her eyebrows furrowed. A nurse walked in and took the small bundle from Snow carefully, then left, leaving Charming and Snow in the room alone. "Charming…" Snow said.

Charming looked at her and felt tears in his blue eyes. "Snow… I'm sorry." He said and walked over to the woman sitting in the hospital bed.

Snow's face crumpled into expressions of horror and grief as realization of what she dreaded most hit her. Tears raced down her cheeks and she sobbed into Charming's shoulder. He sat on the bed and held her, allowing a tear to slip down his cheek as well. "She's gone…" Snow gasped. "S-she's g-g-gone! R-Regina's gone!" Snow cried.

"I'm so sorry Snow." Charming whispered. "I'm so so sorry." He said and rocked her back and forth letting her cry and crumble in his arms.

Gold looked up at Emma with sad unsure eyes. "Ms. Swan, are you sure?" He asked looking for her to change her mind.

Emma hesitated. It had been two days since Regina had died and it seemed the whole town had changed. People she never knew cared about Regina were suddenly grieving like they had all always loved her, and it was strange since so many of them had wanted to kill Regina beforehand. But the thing that wouldn't leave Emma alone and she thought of all the time was how Henry was so unaffected by it. Of course the kid was polite to the people of the town, but as far as he was concerned Regina was nothing more than a stranger to him. And Emma knew that it wasn't right, she knew that the boy had to remember the woman who raised him, he had to know who Regina Mills really was to him, she owed Regina that.

Emma nodded in answer to Gold and said, "Yeah, I'm sure." She held out her hand and Gold placed a small bottle in it looking at her solemnly. Emma nodded her thank you to the man and turned around walking out of the shop holding back tears. She walked over to where Henry was sitting in the bug and gave him a small smile.

He smiled back at her as she climbed into the yellow car and said, "So what ya get?" He looked at the small blue vile curiously. "Mom? What is that?"

Emma took a breath and looked at her son. "Do you trust me Henry?" She asked him.

The boy looked at her confused and said, "Of course I trust you, you're my mom."

"Alright." Emma said with a nod and held the bottle out to him. "Then drink this." She said.

Henry looked surprised and asked, "What?"

Emma swallowed and said again, "If you trust me Henry, then drink this." Henry looked at her as if he was about to refuse but was cut off when he heard her say softly, "Please Henry."

He cautiously raised his hand to take the bottle and uncapped it. "Alright mom." He said. It smelled minty and he lifted it to his lips, tilting the bottle back he swallowed the contents. After a moment his body when ridged as all the memories flooded back into his mind. Emma watched and smiled slightly but it was quick to vanish as she remembered what her son would soon realize. Henry looked at his mom with a wide smile and said, "Ma, I remember!" But that smile was quick to disappear as he suddenly connected his memories with recent events. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open slightly, tears flooded his eyes. "Mom…" He gasped. "Ma! My mom!" He said looking at Emma.

Emma nodded and tears spilled down her cheeks. "Henry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Henry, she is… she is gone." Emma gasped and watched as Henry broke down in the passenger seat. She reached across the car and took him in her arms.

"I didn't get to say goodbye." Henry cried. "I didn't get to say goodbye." He repeated through his sobs. "I didn't get to tell her I love her."

Emma rocked him back and forth and said as steadily as she could, "She knew kid, she always knew."

**Hi everyone! SO I hope you all liked Henry's letter and I just want to let you know I think there is one letter left after this one. I'm still not sure if she comes back or not so please don't kill me! Thanks for the reviews and comments and keep them coming. Please do inform me if I've managed to ruin your day, that always makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere in life!**


	9. You Changed Me

_Dear Henry, Emma, Snow and David, _

_Change. Change is something each of you brought into my life, whether for better or for worse you each had a hand in molding who I have become, and let me be the first to say that that person is very different from who I used to be. There was a time, not too long ago, that I was nothing more than an Evil Queen, cursed to hate and to forever be alone with no companion other than the darkness inside of me. But you brought forth a light that I had buried away long ago and I had forgot ever had existed. Without you, without all of you, I don't think I would have ever been able to find that light again, I don't think I would have allowed myself to find that light again. _

_When you go through life like I have, you experience a vast amount of pain and heartache along the way. I made a mistake in thinking that if I held onto the pain that it would help me solve my problems, I believed it would make me stronger and wiser and less likely to get hurt again, that the anger would make me more than I could ever be without it. It was all I had. But I was wrong, because yes, it made me stronger but instead of making me wiser is made me desperate and manipulative and most of all it made it so when I was hurt the anger was only salt in the wound making every single small disaster burn more and more._

_I'm sorry, that is one thing I have always needed to say and for a long time I was too proud to say it. I'm sorry that I tried repeatedly to ruin your happiness and take away the things you love most. I'm sorry that I couldn't just let the anger die and try to be happy. I'm sorry that I could never find the courage to say these things to you in person because each of you was affected directly by my actions and deserve a true apology. But I suppose this letter will have to suffice because I know and you do too (though you refuse to admit it) that this can only end one way if everyone is to be saved from my sisters wrath. And I know that there is much left unsaid between us and I wish there was more time, but unfortunately there is not. I want you all to know though that no matter the past, no matter what the Evil Queen did or however villainous I once was, today I am not that person. Today I am Regina Mills and today I choose to be a hero._

_I can only hope that my sacrifice will not be in vain and that you will be able to know, that you will be able to feel how deeply I mean each word I write. I have hope that you will all find your happy endings and live long and peaceful lives, though I am sad to say that I will not be there to watch it happen. The time has come that this chapter of our lives comes to an end and my story closes, I do not regret my decision at all because I know it is the right one. I do hope that you will understand that and will not look at my death as a tragedy but instead as a reminder. Let my death be a reminder that evil isn't born, it is made, and when given the chance so is good._

_Henry, I want you to know that I love you and I always have. I have faith that one day you will remember me and when that day comes I want you to know that wherever I am I will always love you. You are my son, my little prince, my truest love and you triumphed the evil in my heart. You believed that I could change when no one else did, and because of you I actually managed to. I can only hope that I have made you proud to call me your mother because I have always been more than proud to call you my son. I love you and I will miss you._

_Emma, I don't want you to spoil Henry, he is a good boy and I don't need you messing that up now. Thank you for helping him when I was unable to, and thank you for keeping him safe. Without you I would not have ever had such a wonderful son and he means the world to me. I want you to know that just like he did, you also pushed me to change and to become a better mother. You will do great things. Take care of our son._

_Snow and David, it is to you two that I owe the greatest apology. If it hadn't been for my rage you would never have had to give your daughter up. The loss of a child is unbearable and I know that now. You two continue to astound me with your incredible infinite optimism, never lose that, it is a beautiful thing. I wish you two and your newest arrival the best of luck and I hope that this time will be different. You two will make wonderful parents even if you are insufferable at times. Charming, you take care of Snow and her baby; do not let anything happen to them because so help me I will come back from the grave to hunt you down if you do. _

_Now I don't want to sound like a broken record here so I decided to change it up a bit, but for one final time let me just say…_

_I will preserve your happiness, if it is the last thing I do._

_I love you and owe you all so much; because of you today I will be a hero. _

_Take care of my apple tree for me, I've had it for many years and I feel like a small part of me will always be within it._

_Thank you for helping me to change,_

_Regina_

**Okay, this is the last letter but not the last bit of the story. We still have a funeral! Wow… a funeral… who thinks Gold should cry? Thank you everyone for reading, I love the support I get from you all! Did this sound like Regina? I hope so. Please leave me reviews, comments, or suggestions! I love them all! You people are great and I'm sorry if I ruin your lives.**


	10. Sobbing Silence

Silence. That is what would be remembered most about that cold gray day. The silence that rang out through the town relentlessly, only ever broken by the soft sound of sobbing. The main street of the town was lined with quiet onlookers dressed in black, each one frowning and some even looking on with tears in their eyes.

No one had ever expected this. The Evil Queen was dead; she was gone and could not be a threat anymore. But there were no parties or festivals, no banquets or feasts, no music or laughter or triumphant cries were heard, there were no bright radiant colors, there was no dancing or singing. There was only silence, only tears, only black, all except for the one. The queen stood out amongst the rest, she was dressed in a beautiful red dress the color of her beloved apples, with her lips painted crimson and her dark hair falling perfectly around her head. She looked so beautiful and peaceful as if she were only sleeping and would awaken at any moment. But that was not the case; they all knew that that would not happen. Each person solemnly watched as the glass coffin with the queen lying inside was carried down the center of Main Street by the seven dwarves. Most people did nothing but watch and some cried, a few even bowed to the dead royal as she was carried past.

Following closely behind the casket was Snow White, the prince, Emma, and Henry. They followed slowly with red eyes and heavy hearts. Snow sobbed every few steps and Charming had his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Not far behind them Emma and Henry walked side by side both with tears in their eyes, Henry was taking deep breaths to try and keep from crying and Emma had already begun to let fresh tears run down her cheeks. They all looked ahead glancing at the casket often, only to be rewarded with another wave of heart wrenching sorrow.

The dwarves carried the glass coffin through the cemetery and into Regina's open crypt. Inside several people were already standing and waiting. These people were those who were closest Regina and the Charmings including Katharine, Ruby, Granny, Rumpelstiltskin, Belle, and Hook. Katharine stood silently and watched as the body of her former friend was carried by her by the dwarves, her eyes looked red as if she had been trying hard to hold back tears. Ruby watched with a look of upmost grief on her face as the queen was carried by, she held on tight to Granny's hand as she cried, her thoughts still haunted by her failure to save Regina. Belle held onto Rumple's hand with both of hers, the beauty looked sad as the coffin was carried past her, but the true sorrow could be found in the features of the man standing beside her. Rumpelstiltskin watched as his former pupil was walked past him in her glass casket, his usual poker face was nonexistent and he looked sorrowfully through the glass at the woman inside. He remembered every moment of their time together, every lesson, every trick, every taunt, every betrayal. And he also remembered the light, the love and the hope she once had. He couldn't help but smile inwardly to himself as he acknowledged that she had had it all along.

After a few moments the dwarves made their way into the empty room of the crypt. Everyone stood and watched as the placed the coffin on a low stone table and took a step back. Those wearing hats took them off and the dwarves each bowed their heads in respect.

Taking a step forward Rumple looked at Regina and how at peace she finally seemed, then he turned to the group of people in the crypt. "Regina Mills was a complicated woman." He began. "She did many things in her life that caused her to become feared and hated. But she also did some wonderful things and because of her we are all still here today. Without Regina and her sacrifice who knows where we would be or even if we would exist. She gave each of us a second chance; she gave us our happy endings." He turned and looked at Regina. "The Evil Queen is dead." He said looking at her peaceful expression. "Long live the Queen." He said loudly.

"Long live the Queen!" The group repeated like an echo.

Rumple closed his eyes and felt Belle take his hand again. Silently he added, "Long live Regina Mills."

**Alright, I hope this was good. I think this is the end… I think so… I might add more. But only if there is like a giant demand. I might bring her back. But only if there is threat of a riot or threat of someone throwing a penguin at me because that hurts. I hope again that this wasn't too mushy and stuff, I really try not to be. Please leave me reviews and comments; they are what I live off of. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading! Please refrain from throwing penguins at people!**


	11. Ending to the End

**Alright, I've held out on you guys long enough. I did get a high demand to bring her back so this is the way I am depicting a possible end to the end of last chapter. If you are content with the last chapter and think her death should be final then don't read this because this is for the people whose lives I ruined with the last chapter. For those who want to believe her to still be dead, then fine she is dead and this chapter is no more than a lunatics wishful thinking, but for those who want her to come back than I today will be your best friend and bring her back. Love me or hate me, I really don't care, just please hold back on the penguin warfare.**

Henry stood by the back door of the mansion looking out at the garden with puffy red tear filled eyes. He watched as David and the dwarves worked around the tree in the center of the backyard, anger and sorrow flaring inside of the boy's chest. He stood and tried to remember how the once vibrant and thriving tree used to look, in his mind he pictured the strong trunk and green leaves that seemed to glow in the sun light, he also remembered the beautiful crimson apples that its branches once bore. Every memory of the sacred tree only fueled more tears to fall from the boy's eyes as he remembered the one person that had been in each one. _Mom… _He thought and a tear ran down his cheek. The tree had been hers; it had been something he had always connected to her, something that when he saw it he saw her. The tree was her; it was all he had left of Regina Mills, the woman who had raised him and called him her son, the mother he had lost forever two year ago after she gave her life to save them all. And now he was losing it too, the tree was dying; its once strong brown trunk turned weak and gray. Its leaves had fallen away after withering with death and its flimsy branches no longer bore the beautiful apples it once thrived with.

For so long Henry, Emma and the Charmings had fought to save the tree. They had tried everything to keep it alive and in turn keep the memory of Regina alive, but nothing worked. The tree continued to die, as if it were determined to give up.

Henry swallowed and crossed his arms over his chest, for two years now he had put forth all his effort into maintaining the apple tree. He knew how much it had meant to his mother and he owed it to her to keep it alive. It had been her request in her last letter to them all for them to take care of it, but they had failed her, he had failed her. It enraged him that even in death she seemed to not be allowed to have her happiness.

A year after they had placed her in her family crypt, her body resting in an enchanted glass coffin meant to preserve her for all of time, some monster had broken in and desecrated her tomb destroying everything and taking her body. Emma and David had spent weeks trying to hunt down the low life who had committed such an appalling crime, but to no avail. Henry and Snow had spent long hours trying to put the tomb back together, but the room was gone for good as if someone had used C4 to turn it into nothing but ruble. Henry remembered just how unstable the floor of the room had been and how it seemed to crumble away. He just couldn't understand how someone could hate a dead woman so much that they would destroy her place of rest, he hated whoever had done it with all his heart.

Henry was snapped out of his thoughts as he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and he looked up to see Emma standing beside him with a grim look on her face. She watched as her father and the dwarves chopped through the soft trunk of the apple tree and Henry could see her flinch at each swing of the ax. He rested his head on her shoulder and whispered quietly, "We failed her Emma."

Emma tore her green eyes away from the tree and looked down at her son. "No." She said softly and rubbed his shoulder with her hand. "No Henry, we didn't fail her."

Henry looked up at her and said, "Yes we did, she is gone, her tomb is destroyed, and we couldn't even keep her tree alive." He looked back over at the tree that was now on its side on the ground.

Emma shook her hand and squeezed Henry's shoulder, "But we tried Henry, we tried to keep it alive and you fought hard to bring it back. She knows that, she knows that you tried, you will never fail her Henry." She said firmly.

Henry shook his head and looked at the ground, "How can you say I will never fail her Emma?" He asked. "I've failed her so many times, and worse than that, I've given up on her, I forgot about her." He said through gritted teeth and teary eyes.

"Look kid, you can't blame yourself for any of this!" Emma said and turned him to look at her. "It isn't your fault and beating yourself up about it won't help anyone. Regina wouldn't want you to do that; your mom would never want you to torture yourself like this. She loved you Henry and she knew that you loved her too!"

Henry looked up at Emma and bit his lip to keep back tears; he hated how fresh all of these wounds still were. Whoever said it got easier over time had lied, because it never got easier for him, his mom was gone and he couldn't do anything to save her, he couldn't bring her back. "How could she Emma?" He asked. "How could she after how I treated her?"

Emma looked at him and smiled sadly, "Because she knew you Henry, she knew you were a great kid, she knew you were full of love and that you always loved her, even during the rough times. She knew you because you were her son and she loved you."

Henry looked into Emma's green eyes and said, "I miss her Emma."

Emma nodded and blinked away tears, "I know kid, I miss her too." Emma said calmly. She wrapped both arms around her son and held him tight against her in a hug. She could feel him crying against her as the sound of David and the dwarves digging up the stump and roots of the tree seemed to echo loudly around them.

Suddenly there was a thunderous groaning sound and someone cried out. Both Emma and Henry looked over at the area the men had been working around and saw the dwarves all racing over to one spot. "David!" Grumpy called out as he bent down looking over into a hole in the ground.

Emma and Henry raced over to the group and Emma began to shout, "Move aside! Get out of my way!" She made her way over to where Grumpy was bent over the hole and looked down into it. In the darkness of the hole she could make out the figure of her father. "David!" She called down.

Charming lifted his head and groaned; he was in a hole about 25 feet deep and was covered in dirt. He was winded and laying on his back trying to catch his breath after the fall. His back ached as he tried to move and he could already tell nothing was broken, he would just be badly bruised. After several moments he managed to groan a weak but loud, "I'm alright."

He was quickly greeted with the voice of his daughter who was looking down at him from the edge of the hole so far above. "Don't worry, we are getting help! Just stay still! We will have you out soon!" She yelled down to him.

He chuckled and winced, "Don't worry, I don't plan on moving."

Several minutes passed and his eyes began to adjust to the darkness of the hole he was in. He looked around and realized he was lying on a pile of dirt at the entrance to a tunnel. The tunnel was dark and seemed to stretch several feet before curving slightly. With a groan of pain David got to his feet and limped towards the curve of the tunnel, he peered around it and saw a light close by on the other side. He looked back up at the hole he had fallen through and yelled, "Emma! I found a tunnel; there is a light at the other end! I'm going to follow it!"

Immediately Grumpy's eyes widened and he yelled down to David, "David! Don't go towards the light at the end of the tunnel! You never go towards the light at the end of the tunnel!"

Emma looked at Leroy and asked with a frown, "Did you really just say that?"

Leroy looked at her and nodded, "I'm just trying to save his life."

Emma shook her head and rolled her eyes, she then looked back down into the hole and yelled, "Go for it David! It could be a way out!"

David nodded and began to carefully walk into the tunnel, following the curving of the dark path. Sooner than he would have thought he noticed the light getting brighter, he knew he wasn't near the surface and wondered what was causing the glow. The tunnel turned once more and then widened into a small dirt room that David quickly realized was right underneath where the apple tree had once stood.

In the center of the room luminous white roots hung from the ceiling twisting together and weaving in between one another as they extended down. David took cautious steps toward the roots and examined them from a few feet away. The roots seemed to form a nest of sorts that glowed bright and took up the center of the small room.

David stepped closer and peered between the bright white roots his face illuminated by the almost ghostly glow. He leaned forward his face close to the roots as he tried to see inside the tightly woven nest. He felt a warm tickle on his face as he realized a wisp of white was drifting off from the root and caressing his cheek. He almost swatted it away but stopped abruptly as he realized the wisp was healing a cut he hadn't realized he had. He looked away from the wisp and focused back on the nest, there was defiantly something inside. Carefully he placed his dirt covered hands on the white roots and pulled them gently apart.

David's eyes widened and he took in a sharp and painful breath. Taking a step back he stumbled and fell onto his already aching back, but he didn't even feel the pain. His wide blue eyes were staring up at the wall of roots that was quickly forming back together from. David scrambled to his feet and rushed over to the roots again, quickly pulling them apart.

Inside the nest, curled up on her side with closed eyes and a peaceful expression on her beautiful face was Regina Mills. The roots that made up the nest she lay in also weaved themselves around her otherwise exposed body, the white wisps flowing from the roots to Regina. "Regina!" Charming said softly but received no response. "Regina!" He repeated and still no response came.

"David!" The distant voice of Emma called out signaling that the blonde had entered the tunnel.

"Emma! Emma in here! Hurry!" David turned and yelled into the tunnel.

He heard the steady sound of his daughter's boots on the tunnel floor and turned back to Regina. Emma turned the corner and stopped abruptly as she entered the small room that glowed from the roots hanging from the ceiling. "What the hell? What is this place?" She asked looking at her father.

David turned and looked at her. "I don't know." He said before turning back to the nest of tightly woven roots. "I think we are under where the apple tree was." He said.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked and took cautious steps towards her father. "You don't sound right." She added.

"Emma just get over here now, I need your help!" David said bluntly.

Emma looked surprised at the urgent tone in David's voice. "Alright." She said and walked over. "What's up?" She asked curiously.

David looked up at her and said, "I found Regina, and I think she's alive." He pulled the roots aside again to show Emma the form of the woman cradled by the wisps.

Emma looked in her eyes widened and she felt her air and voice get caught in her throat. "She… That's… How…" She couldn't manage to get any sentences out. "Regina!" She managed. She looked up at David with wide eyes and said, "We have to get her out now!"

David nodded and said, "I know. But we need help, the roots barricade as soon as you let go of them."

Emma looked at him and then quickly turned and sprinted back through the tunnel. She returned several minutes later with Grumpy, Happy, and Bashful hot on her heels. "Leroy, you guys open the roots." She said and the dwarves nodded and grabbed onto the roots, pulling them apart.

David shrugged off his coat quickly and passed it to Emma. "As soon as I get her out put that around her, we don't want her exposed." He said to her. Emma nodded and held his jacket at the ready. David turned and saw that Grumpy, Happy, and Bashful were struggling to keep the roots from closing up again. He quickly reached forward into the nest and grabbed Regina under her arms pulling her away from the roots around her and out of the nest. The dwarves turned away in respect as David struggled to get the queen out of the shrinking hole in the nest. As soon as he had pulled her out Emma wrapped the coat around Regina covering from the woman's shoulders to half way down her thighs.

Grumpy and the other dwarves let go of the roots and looked at Charming who was holding Regina in his arms. "Is she alive?" Grumpy asked.

Emma took a step forward and placed her fingers on Regina's neck trying to find a pulse. It took several heartbeats but Emma looked up at them with wide relief filled eyes and said, "She's alive, but her pulse is weak. We have to get her to Whale."

"Little problem there sister." Grumpy said and looked at Emma. "How the hell are we gonna get her out of here?"

Everyone stopped and thought, then suddenly David said softly, "Rumpelstiltskin." He looked up and all eyes were on him. "Rumpelstiltskin." He said again even louder.

"David, I don't think that will work in Storybrooke." Emma said and looked at her father with sincerity in her eyes.

"It will work! He will hear us!" David said and then yelled again. "Rumpelstiltskin!"

"Would you stop shouting already!?" A voice sounded from the tunnel behind them. The turned and saw Gold standing there behind them with an irritated look on his face.

"Wait? It worked?" Emma said sounding shocked.

Gold rolled his eyes, "No, Henry called me." He said. Then his eyes fell upon the person in David's arms and his eyes widened in shock and he froze for several seconds. "How?" He asked as he looked at the body of his former pupil. "Is she alive?" He demanded.

"At the moment yes, but we need to get her to the hospital." Emma informed him.

Gold nodded and waved his hand, in an instant the group was no longer in the small dirt room but was instead standing in front of the front desk of the hospital. The nurse at the front desk was looking at them with her eyes wide in shock, her mouth hanging open. "We need a doctor now!" Gold said firmly to her and she nodded. She quickly paged Whale and a team of nurses raced over to David with a gurney. David placed Regina on it and stepped away as they rushed the queen off to be cared for.

Several hours went by and the rest of the dwarves, Ruby, Granny, Belle, Snow, Henry and Hook all joined the group at the hospital in the waiting room. After around the eighth hour in the waiting room Dr. Whale came in and said, "She can have visitors now, she isn't conscious but she will live. I have no idea how it happened, but she will live."

Everyone looked up at him tiredly but smiled and Henry jumped to his feet racing out of the waiting room in search of his mother's room. He heard feet racing behind him and knew he was being followed by the group of people. He raced into Regina's room and saw her laying in the bed the machines beeping around her. "Mom…" He gasped and raced over to her side wrapping his arms around her gently.

"Henry be careful." Snow said even though she wanted to copy the boy's movements. She had joyful tears in her eyes as she saw the machines informing her that Regina was in fact alive. Charming squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled at her.

Gold entered quickly and looked at the woman in the bed being hugged by his grandson. He smiled and Belle rushed in behind him and gasped the moment her eyes saw Regina, she smiled and hugged Gold.

Behind her Granny and Ruby entered the room and Ruby's hands immediately flew up and covered her mouth as she let out a relief filled sob. "She's alive." Ruby managed to say.

Emma stood beside Hook and watched with a watery smile as Henry hugged Regina. She hadn't seen the boy like this in two years or perhaps much longer. They all sat there in the room and waited, Henry never let go of his mother, he held her hand even as he began to fall asleep in the chair beside her bed, his small head resting on the bed in front of him. After another three hours Emma was snapped out of her daze as her eyes caught a small movement from the bed in front of her. She waited a heartbeat before seeing it again, Regina's eyes fluttered open weakly and the queen looked around. She was surprised to find the room she was in was filled with the sleeping forms of the Charmings, Granny, Ruby, Hook, Gold, Belle, and Henry who was right beside her holding her hand. She smiled weakly and gently rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. "He's really missed you." Emma says and Regina looked at the blond she hadn't seen on the other side of her bed.

Regina looked back at Henry and asked softly, "How long was I gone?"

Emma looked at the woman; she was slightly surprised that Regina was so calm. "You were dead for two years Regina." She said.

Regina glanced at Emma from the corner of her eye and nodded, "He's grown." She said and smiled slightly as her gaze shifted back to Henry.

Emma nodded, "That happens." She said simply before leaning forward. "You were dead Regina, you let Zelena kill you. When he got his memories back he had to deal with the fact that he never got to say goodbye."

Regina looked back at Emma and said, "But he's still here, that's all that matters. You are all still here which means it was worth it."

Emma shook her head; she was too tired to argue with the woman. "How?" She asked. "How did you come back?"

Regina looked at Henry and smiled. "He brought me back. His love brought me back, I'm not completely sure of how it happened, but I just know it was him."

"Well don't you ever leave him like that again." Emma said firmly.

Regina rolled her eyes and then she heard a groan. Henry shifted a bit and began to wake, he lifted his head and his tired eyes widened, "Mom!" He gasped and leapt forward hugging her tight.

"Hello my little prince." Regina said with a smile and wrapped her arms around him.

Henry held her tight and breathed in her scent. "Mom, I missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you again! I love you mom!" He said and tears ran down his cheeks.

Regina also began to cry as she held her son in her arms. "I missed you too Henry." She said and held him tighter. "I promise, you will never have to be without me again. I love you Henry."

Soon after Henry woke, the others began to wake as well. But none of them dare try to interrupt Henry and Regina's reunion; it was clear that Henry didn't plan on letting go of Regina again for a long time.

Hook walked over to join the crowd around Regina's bed and leaned over to Emma, "Well love, I guess we wrote those letters for nothing." He whispered. "Better hide them." Emma chuckled and swatted his upper arm.

Regina looked up at them with raised eyebrows after having heard the Captain. "Letters?" She asked. "What letters?"

**Okay! So I hope you all liked my ending to the ending. But just remember, if you liked her dead than this was nothing more than a dream, but if you wanted her alive than this is how it happened. Please comment and review; let me know what you thought. And anyone who was going to threaten me with war I want to know about it!**


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